YP Letters: Ignore plight of the masses at your peril

Most of the ruling political elite in Britain, the USA and the EU fervently believe in the twin evils of free trade and globalisation. Desite thousands of jobs being lost in the UK, USA and across Europe as factories close and heavy industry is decimated.

Such large scale de-industrialisation has resulted in fortunes for the already rich and powerful but despair for ordinary workers.

The ruling political elite ignore the desperation and poverty of the masses.

This has resulted in the forgotten voting against the EU in Britain and the rise of right wing fascist parties in Europe. Whilst the USA elects Donald Trump to the White House.

Unfortunately for the American poor, Trump’s policies will not reverse years of economic decline. Indeed, it could be argued that his economic policies will accelerate manufacturing industry decline. For according to Trump, the US’s economic ills are largely due to immigration.

This is nonsense as America’s decline is due to free trade and globalisation.

Trump and his republican party advisors, therefore, will not introduce policies that put the US economy first and globalisation second. Similarly, in Britain and Europe neither UKIP nor the Front National have economic policies that will arrest economic decline. This can only be achieved by pubic investment in science based industries and products.

Also, there needs to be public investment in sensible infrastructure projects, such as social housing rather than the futile HS2.

However, there is one aspect of Trump’s, UKIP’s and France’s Front National views that has serious merit, namely forging closer co-operation with Russia.

From: Peter Hyde, Driffield.

Last May Britain voted to leave the EU. Sadly, that vote didn’t suit some of the people so they have done their utmost to scupper the exit or Brexit as it is known. MPs and others have taken steps to try to overturn what we, the public, wanted. America has elected Donald Trump as President elect.

Again it doesn’t suit some of the people so they have decided to riot and create mayhem to try to frustrate the majority who voted for him.

What happened to acceptance of the decision of the majority? The votes should be accepted without such objections being raised and certainly not by cheating or violence.

From: Phyllis Capstick, Hellifield, Skipton.

We entered the European Union by an act of Parliament because the people voted to enter the Common Market. We were betrayed as to what that would mean.

If we can only leave by an act of Parliament, the people have voted to leave. That seems democratic.

So if Parliament is allowed to overrule this then the will of the people counts for nothing.

Do we need a Donald Trump here, because the establishment is rotten to the core?

From: Don Burslam, Elm Road, Dewsbury Moor, Dewsbury.

Now that the American election is over, perhaps we should thank our lucky stars our political system seems so much more stable and trouble-free than theirs.

With all the flaws, our elections are conducted within a tight time frame and the proceedings unwind in atmosphere of calm and decorum.

Having lived in the States for some time, I found the presence of guns in ordinary households and small commmuities very disturbing; supermarkets sell the most powerful weapons and no questions asked.

Of course we have problems but we have such a lot to be thankful for in comparison with the States.

Libraries are vital part of community

From: Martin Vaughan, Stannington Road, Sheffield.

As opposed to simply trying to advertise for votes at elections by keeping libraries open by attempting to run libraries on the cheap with volunteers, it would be nice to see our Labour council actually protesting 
about the impact austerity cuts have on librarians and libraries 
both in Sheffield and nationally.

The local politicians need to stand up to the Government.

It might seem like we have not had any library closures in Sheffield, but we have gone from 420 librarians around 
nine years ago to around 165 now.

The council is making an effort to protect adult social care and child social care, but libraries are also a vital part of the community.

No stamp of approval for ‘festive’ images

From: R Urquhart, High Hunsley, Cottingham.

Featured in ( The Yorkshire Post, November 8) there were pictures of six new Christmas stamps described as “traditional festive images”.

Yet again, no obvious reference to the real facts of Christmas, that is the baby Jesus, a stable in Bethlehem, the visiting wise men and shepherds et cetera.

How sad if we are really becoming much more of a Pagan than Christian society!